Electrical Equipment for Small Hydropower Plants

Generators with Permanent Magnet Excitation (PME)

30th

Lausan June20

Jochen Bard Head of Energy Conversion Institute for Solar Energy Supply Technologies (ISET) Kassel University, www.iset.de TNSHP: Small Hydropower Workshop

Institut fr Solare Energieversorgungstechnik e.V.

Systems Technology for the Use of Renewable Energies and Efficient Energy Conversion
Applications-oriented Research and Development
Wind Energy Photovoltaics Use of Biomass Hydropower, Ocean Energy Technologies Energy Conversion and Storage Hybrid Systems Energy Economy Information and Training
Executive Board: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jrgen Schmid Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Fhrer Personnel: 75 Employees Budget: approxim. 8 Mio. Euro Information: www.iset.uni-kassel.de

Electrical Equipment for Small Hydropower Plants turbine: electrical drives for guide vanes and runner control generators: high efficiency induction machines, direct drive concepts low loss & environmental friendly transformers improved control:
improved gate control optimised trash rack cleaner operation higher turbine output (optimisation of runner guide vane setting) detailed monitoring and supervision remote control and SCADA-interface (web cam, automated reports) advanced analysis facilities optimisation of multiple turbine installations ...

examples of improvements in particular for modernisation

Medium to high head turbines

small pelton

Source: Hitzinger

spiral case Francis

Project/Country: Type: Nominal output Speed: Specification:

EW Lsen / I SGT9D06T 1400 KVA 1000 rpm IEC 34, VDE 0530

Typical low head site: SHP plant Lewitzschleuse

head: 3.6 m power: 270 kW discharge: 9 m/s Turbine: Kaplan n = 190 rpm = 1600 mm

disadvantages of gearboxes losses of 1-1.5% per stage (up to 5% overall) vibration and noise investment cost and lifetime
efficienc 1 0,9 0,8 0,7 0,6 0,5 0,4 0,3 0,2 0,1 0 0 5 10
power [kW]

maintenance requirements and cost environmental risk from oil

15

Alternative to gearboxes: reinforced belt (up to 400 kW)

Example of submersible turbines with direct coupled induction generator ITT Flyght

hydropower plant Reichenbach/Fils

Kaplan turbine: speed and torque vs discharge

(simplified with constant design parameters)
800
turbine speed [rpm]

80

700

torque [kNm] equivalent number of poles

70

600 turbine speed [rpm]

60 torque [kNm] number of poles, torque [kNm]

500

50

400

40

300

30

200

20

100

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

0 discharge [m/s] at 5 m

90 kW

700 kW

Performance improvement by replacing and old drive train

1 0,9 0,8 power train efficiency 0,7 0,6 0,5 0,4 0,3 0,2 0,1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 Power [%] 60 70 80 90 100 PME generator ASG+belt old power train (ASG+ gear box)

Possible drive train arrangement for refurbishment using a direct coupled SE or PME synchronous generator

source: OKD

Design and operational aspetcs of grid connected PME generators

+ no excitation losses very good part load efficiency + smaller pole pitches than separate excitation lighter design + no brushes or slip rings - damping of oscillations between grid and rotor required - no regulation of the power factor - voltage proportional to speed no regulation of the voltage run away speed + loss of load very high open circuit voltages - no isolated operation possible

rotor

stator only for integration into an existing strong and stable electrical network e.g. in Europe and North America

New compact turbine concepts using direct coupling

Matrixturbine 200-700 kW per unit

ECOBulb Kaplan turbine 500 kW-5 MW 2 to 15 m

pictures: VATECH Hydro

ECOBulb: typical efficiencies achieved

generator

turbine

total

source: VATECH Hydro

ECOBulb generator
first machine 330 kVA 214 rpm max. eff 96%
pole face with magnets damper cage

1250 kVA, 150 rpm, max. eff 96,5% 4000 kVA 144 rpm max. eff 96,8%
photos: VATECH Hydro

Straflo Matrix by VATECH

pictures: VATECH Hydro

StrafloMatrix pilot project Agonitz 700 kW at 8.5 m head 430 rpm, 1.12 m runner diameter unregulated turbine ring generator with PME target size > 1.5 MW

realised slow speed generators in -hydro demonstration projects

refurbishment of a low head Francis turbine head 1m, discharge: 2.9 m/s rated power 22 kVA rated speed 42 rpm rated torque 5000 Nm rated frequency 21 Hz power factor 1,0 weight 3,2 t
Khler, Karslruhe University , 1997

PME generator for a water wheel power 16 kW speed 22 rpm 24 poles efficiency 88% stator diameter 1,2m

projects in Switzerland engineering school Biehl Swiss SHP programme 2003

source: Kassel University

EC-Project VASOCOMPACT: Development of a commercial concept for

variable speed operation of unregulated submersible compact turbines

new turbine design for runner and guide vane special PME-generator directly coupled special frequency converter scaling from 50 bis 500 kW per unit installation and test of a 50 kW pilot this summer (Tirva, Finnland)

Stator windings direct flow cooling

draft tube Rotor

Permanentmagnets

fix runner fix guide vanes

Generator with permanent magnet excitation (Elmotec, CH)

rated speed 600 rpm, 40 poles rated frequency 200 Hz design torque 840 Nm voltage 313 V, current 92 A

Application example for the VASOCOMPACT turbines

example design 1510 mm runner 265 rpm PME-Generator

3,18 m head 12,4 m/s discharge 324 kW power/unit

Future prospects of PME generators

Innowind 1.2 MW PMG 21 rpm 96 t

similar developments e.g. by Siemens: first PM motor in 1987 other applications: CHP units based on ICEs industrial drive applications

ABB medium Speed Permanent Magnet Generator integrated into a one-stage gearbox 120-240 rpm some MW new high speed PMG 3.6 MW on a 500mm frame >98% efficiency